Illinois man pleads guilty to illegally importing anabolic steroids from China

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. — An Illinois man pleaded guilty Thursday to illegally importing anabolic steroids from China, announced James L. Porter, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.

This guilty plea resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from other state, local, and federal law enforcement entities in Kentucky, Indiana and Texas.

Matthew Short, 29, of Marion, Illinois, pleaded guilty Jan. 28 in federal court to importing a controlled substance from China (anabolic steroids). Sentencing has been set for May 11. Short waived grand jury indictment and was charged in the single count information. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, and up to three years of supervised release.

During his plea hearing, Short admitted ordering from China nearly a kilogram of various anabolic steroids, all Schedule III-controlled substances, which were to be sent to his home in Marion. The package was identified as it entered the United States and was seized by officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the San Francisco Mail Center.  CBP was referred the case to HSI for investigation.  

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ranley R. Killian, Southern District of Illinois, is prosecuting this case.